Gerard de Lairesse : an artist between stage and studio / Lyckle de Vries.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vries, Lyckle de, 1937-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Lairesse, Gérard de, 1640-1711--Criticism and interpretation.

Lairesse, Gérard de.

Lairesse, Gérard de, 1640-1711. Groot schilderboek.

Lairesse, Gérard de, 1640-1711.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xiv, 212 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press, [1998]

Summary:

The classicist painter Gerard de Lairesse (1640-1711), famous in his time, was all but forgotten in the following centuries. This book responds to a growing appreciation of his oeuvre and ideas, offering an accessible introduction the first of its kind - to his life and work. De Vries pays special attention to the historical and artistic context of the late seventeenth-century Dutch Republic.

In 1664, following a turbulent love affair, De Lairesse moved from his birthplace Liege to Utrecht, and from there to Amsterdam. After the death of Rembrandt in 1669 he rapidly became one of the most popular painters of the Republic: he designed monumental "mural paintings on canvas" for the palaces of Stadholder William III and for the new city hall of Amsterdam. After losing his eyesight in 1690 he set down his ideas on drawing and painting in two influential works, The Foundations of The Art of Drawing and The Art of Painting. He was also active in the society Nil volentibus arduum, which devoted extensive discussions to the subject of the theater. His famous stage sets for the Amsterdam City Theater testify to new and lofty ideas about the performing arts. The theater also served as a source of inspiration for his paintings and for his treatises on the theory of art.

The variety of pursuits which made up De Lairesse's career are presented in colorful detail. De Vries compares his theoretical ideas with his artistic practice and with that of his colleagues and predecessors. This book is a portrait of a fascinating artist, brought to life against the backdrop of his times.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 198-203) and index.

ISBN:

9053562508

OCLC:

39505587